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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2020 Meghin Delaney Communications Director
CONTACT: [email protected]
Gov. Sisolak announces mandatory face covering policy in
public
CARSON CITY, NV — Today, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued a
mandatory face covering policy for all Nevadans and visitors by signing
Directive 024.
“I’m proud of the work Nevadans have completed thus far in helping us
flatten the curve, but our work is far from over” said Governor
Sisolak. “Today’s directive is our opportunity to limit our risk for exposure
and infection, and to keep our businesses open and our economy moving.
For Nevada to stay safe and stay open, we must make face coverings a
routine part of our daily life.”
This directive comes after a four week climb in cases at which time the
Governor asked the Nevada Medical Advisory Team to analyze potential
options for slowing the spread, specific to facial coverings. Research done
by the MAT and the CDC has indicated that facial coverings are one of the
most effective ways to slow the transmission of this disease.
Per this requirement, anyone in any public space throughout the State,
including visitors, will need to wear a mask. This includes using public
transportation, public facing work environments, when patronizing
businesses, or interacting with others in any generally publicly accessible
space.
Directive 024 and a guidance document corresponding to this directive
with information on the practical application and exceptions are attached
to this email and can be found online at https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/.
The Governor’s full prepared remarks related to Directive 024 are as
follows:
Good evening, thank you for being here tonight.
Today, I am again joined by Caleb Cage, the Nevada COVID-19 Response
Director and Ms. Julia Peek, a deputy administrator in the Department of
Health and Human Services. In this role, Ms. Peek is helping lead Nevada’s
statewide contact tracing efforts. I am pleased to have them both here with
me.
As you know, Nevada is continuing to operate in Phase 2 of our Roadmap to
Recovery plan, allowing our medical, public health and emergency response
professionals to evaluate and analyze new trends, including what is now a
four week upward trend of new daily cases.
We are still watching the continued increase in our confirmed and suspected
COVID-19 hospitalizations as well. Recently, that number reached 439 cases
in Nevada’s hospitals statewide, however, patients requiring ICU beds and
ventilators continues to hold steady. The Nevada Hospital Association is
regularly evaluating the effects of COVID19 on staffing, PPE supplies and bed
capacity. At this point, the hospital association continues to remain confident
they can serve the needs of all Nevadans.
I want to take a moment to remind everyone where we’ve been. Our goal for
Phase 1 was to flatten the curve. Nevadans responded to the challenge and
we were able to lift some restrictions.
To go to Phase 2, our goal was to achieve 14 days of flat or decreasing
positive test rate and hospitalizations. Many Nevadans acted responsibly, and
after achieving those goals, we reopened much of our economy.
While there continued to be some limitations, bars, restaurants, beauty salons
and many other businesses brought their employees back to work and
opened their doors. A short while later we were able to reopen our states
primary industry...tourism.
At that time, I told Nevadans that to stay open and remove further
restrictions we all had to accept our personal responsibility to keep our
workers, our families and ourselves safe.
At that time, I mandated that Nevada businesses and employees who interact
with the public wear face coverings and continued to strongly encourage
members of the public to wear face coverings as well. Unfortunately, as you
can see from the data, we have taken some steps backwards.
Clearly for many, the excitement and enthusiasm for escaping our
confinement and finally being able to enjoy dinner out with our families, buy
new clothes or get a haircut, overshadowed the good judgement we practiced
in the previous months.
Unfortunately and inexcusably, I also made an error in judgement while out
to dinner, where I was photographed not wearing a mask. It was an error and
inexcusable.
Too many Nevadans have had the same lapse of judgement. Every hour there
are photographs, or videos, posted of large unmasked clusters of
people....clusters of potential COVID19 spread.
So I want to put it to you like this: If back in March, before we shut down the
vast majority of our economy, I said to you: we can keep our economy open if
everyone agrees to wear masks and maintain 6 feet in person-to-person
distance. Who would have not accepted that offer? That is exactly what needs
to be considered today.
I don’t know why or when protecting our health and our neighbors’ lives
became a political, partisan or even philosophical decision. For me it’s none
of those ... it’s a medical necessity, a human obligation and.... it’s good for
business.
Study after study, worldwide, every notable medical professional from
President Trump’s top advisor, Dr. Fauci, to all of our Nevada medical
professionals, assert one unassailable conclusion... wearing face coverings
saves lives, period.
In fact, one study highlighted by my Medical Advisory Team showed that
replacing our strict lockdown with social distancing alone, without universal
masking, results in an unchecked spread, with potentially devastating
results.
It showed that when at least 80% of a population adopts universal masking,
it results in a substantial reduction of infection.
On the other hand, masking at only 50% of a population is not sufficient to
prevent continued spread.
We owe it to each other to accept the fact that wearing face coverings saves
lives. We owe it to the many workers.....health care professionals, retail clerks,
restaurant workers, grocery store employees to accept that fact. We owe it to
Nevada’s many businesses large and small to accept that fact.
My fellow Nevadans: I’m offering us all another opportunity to limit our risk
for exposure and infection, and to keep our businesses open and our
economy moving. For Nevada to stay safe and stay open, we must make face
coverings a routine part of our daily life.
That’s why, today, at the recommendation of the Medical Advisory Team, I
signed a directive with a new requirement for Nevadans and visitors to wear
a cover their nose and mouth with a mask or face covering, when in public
space, whether publicly or privately owned. This directive is effective on
Friday, to give businesses a day to get ready.
We understand that the situation in some areas of the State is not as bad as
others. We recognize that as well as all of the work that everyone across the
State has been doing. However, we are seeing a spike in positive cases and
we need to ask everyone around the State to do their very best to keep us all
safe.
This especially applies to indoor activities in which you are near other people,
including grocery stores, retail businesses, malls and gaming properties.
Detailed guidance is available online at NVHealthResponse.nv.gov.
There are, of course, exceptions to this directive. For instance, those with
medical conditions that make it difficult to breathe, those with a disability
that prevents them from wearing a face covering, and young children
between the ages of two and nine are exempt from this requirement, however
they are still strongly encouraged to wear a face covering as much as
possible. The full list of exemptions are outlined in the guidance online.
I encourage all businesses to prominently post signage to alert customers and
help ensure this directive is followed. I know there are some businesses who
have already required face coverings for customers and I thank you for this
strong and helpful stance.
Businesses that fail to meet requirements in this directive will face violations
from local licensing agencies and regulatory authorities, in addition to
Nevada OSHA. A reminder as well that businesses have the right to ask a
patron to leave if they are not following this directive.
I call on local governments and regulatory authorities to help ensure there is
education around this directive for our businesses and subsequent
enforcement through the appropriate bodies if compliance is not met.
But it’s not just on the businesses or state and local government – it’s on all of
us. I am asking individuals throughout Nevada to take this seriously and
understand the risk you are posing on yourself and others by not wearing a
face covering.
And I know there are probably a lot of questions about additional
enforcement measures for individuals. I want to be clear: this is a mandate, so
enforcement language is necessary, however, ideally there won’t be any
criminal or civil sanctions for individuals. The last thing I want is for
monetary fines or criminal penalties to be imposed on Nevadans, which is
why I strongly encourage everyone to follow this directive.
Nevada is a State that prides itself on it’s fierce individualism. It’s part of what
makes us great. So I’m asking all of us to take our independent spirit and turn
that into our individual responsibility to keep the lights on for businesses
throughout our State.
I believe there are more good than bad in this, but I know we’ve all seen the
concerning pictures of crowded spaces since reopening. They may appear
anecdotal for now, but due to our increasing efforts in contact tracing, they
won’t be anecdotal for long.
Increased contact tracing capacity will continue to help us know where and
how people are contracting this virus, and we’ll soon be able to pinpoint
industries and businesses where people are at higher risk of becoming
infected with COVID-19.
I don’t want to have to take steps backward by imposing stronger restrictions
on those identified as high risk if I don’t have to – and the best way to
prevent that is to not let a business type or industry become high risk in the
first place. It's on all of us, Nevada.
To be clear, due to the data and time needed for evaluation of contact tracing
and impacts of this new face covering directive, any discussion of entering
Phase 3 will be tabled.
The pandemic is not over, as I said last week, we are not yet post-COVID, we
are still in the middle of the first wave of COVID.
So, please, I cannot emphasize this enough, wear your face covering anytime
you leave your house. When you go to restaurant, when you stop at a
pharmacy, when you enter a casino, wear your face covering.
You don’t need to wear an N95 mask like medical professionals wear. The
Medical Advisory Team and the CDC recommend homemade fabric face
coverings of all types.
They’re easy to make, and can be made from cloth, or fashioned out of
something as simple as a bandana or an old T-shirt. Options for doing so
have been linked in our guidance and there are several additional resources
online. Let’s all work together to stay safe to stay open. No shirt, no shoes, no
mask, no service.
I know Nevadans are worried not only about their health but also about their
jobs and commerce. They keep asking me and my team, “What can I do to
help?” You can do this. Everyone can. This simple act is this is not only a way
for us to save lives, but also a way for us to save the Nevada economy.
And while I called this press conference to discuss face coverings tonight, I
also wanted to give a quick update on our state budget. Afterall, our budget
and economy have been directly impacted by the public health crisis.
As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused budget shortfalls for both
the 2020 fiscal year and the 2021 fiscal year.
Major actions to address the budget shortfall in FY2020 included transferring
the Rainy Day Fund, reversing one-time appropriations and capital
improvements, and reducing the operating budget by approximately $67.5
million. These were approved by the Interim Finance Committee on June
12th.
That brings us to the projected Fiscal Year 2021 shortfall. The latest revised
revenue projection developed jointly by the Fiscal Analysis Division and the
Governor’s Finance Office reflects a total General Fund shortfall estimated at
approximately $1.27 billion. This is approximately 25% of our annual
operating budget.
We anticipate General Fund revenue collections for April business activity will
be released within the next few days, at which time, the projected shortfalls
for both FY20 and FY21 will be updated and final actions for both of my
budget proposals can be finalized with the most up-to-date numbers.
Here’s what I want to emphasize before I wrap up: This is not a normal
recession. The state went from it’s economic peak to its economic trough in a
matter of weeks, as a result of tough decisions to save lives.
Revenues may very well recover faster than expected if the coronavirus were
to subside due to responsible actions by all of us, or if a treatment were to
become available earlier than anticipated. Or, revenues may recover more
slowly if a second wave slows the reopening of our economy.
Unprecedented. Historic. Uncharted. All of these words fit our situation, and it
would be irresponsible to release every minute-by-minute revision of this
budget proposal without proper vetting by our fiscal experts, and before
receiving our latest revenue numbers, with the hopes of reducing the
potentially dramatic impacts to our state budget.
I look forward to receiving these numbers and making any final adjustments
to the FY21 budget proposal so I can share it with all of you.
Finally, I wanted to acknowledge some amazing Nevadans. Back in early
April, my office launched the Hero of the Day campaign recognizing
Nevadans that have gone above and beyond to help their fellow citizens in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognized medical professionals,
first responders, school teachers, grocery clerks, citizens standing up donation
drives and many more.
As the state continues to reopen, I am excited to launch a new campaign
tonight to recognize Nevada businesses that are following directive guidelines
to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Tonight, we launch the Battle Born Business campaign to highlight the
businesses taking creative and safe measures to stay safe to stay open.
Please send nominations with a photo and brief explanation for the
nomination to [email protected]. That’s
At this time I’d like to take a moment to recognize some great Nevadans. My
staff and I have briefed numerous business leaders, medical professionals,
gaming executives and labor groups.
From Chambers of Commerce to construction workers, to gaming executives
and hospitality employees, I want to thank you for your understanding,
support and commitment to our shared mission... keeping Nevada open,
keeping Nevada strong, and keeping Nevadans and our guests as safe and
healthy as possible.
I’m asking Nevadans tonight to unify in an effort to move forward.
Republicans, Democrats, left and right, business owners and workers, lets do
what’s necessary to not only keep our economy open, but hopefully allow us
to go full throttle in the future, safely and successfully. Anything less than our
total commitment will lead to the terrible consequences we’ve all seen in
other parts of our nation and the world.
Thank you. I will now take some questions.
###
Nevada Medical Advisory Team:
Guidance on Directive 024: Face Coverings
June 24, 2020
Summary: This document provides guidance on Directive 024, which
enhances the original GUIDANCE on improvised face coverings released in
conjunction with the advice of the Nevada Medical Advisory Team on April
3. This new directive requires Nevadans and visitors to wear face coverings
when they are out in public, with limited exceptions as outlined below.
Read on to learn more about the directive mandating face coverings:
When and where am I required to wear a face covering?
Whenever you leave the house. To keep businesses open and help slow the
spread, face coverings are required.
Face coverings should be worn at all times in the following circumstances:
o Public spaces:
o Inside of, or standing in line waiting to enter, any indoor public
space.
o While outside in a public space when 6 feet of social distancing
from those not in your same household isn’t possible.
o Public or Private Transportation or paratransit that others HAVE used
or WILL use:
o While waiting for or riding on public transportation or
paratransit.
o While riding in taxis, private car services, monorails, trams, and
rideshares like Uber and Lyft.
o While driving or operating any form of transportation or
paratransit when passengers not in your same household are
present. When no passengers are present, face coverings are
still strongly recommended.
o While at work:
o When interacting in-person with members of the public.
o When in any space visited by the general public, even if no one
else is present.
o When in any space where food is prepared or packaged, for
sale, or generally distributed to others.
o When walking though common areas, such as hallways,
stairways, elevators, and parking facilities.
o In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for
members of the person’s own household or residence) are
present when unable to physically distance.
o While working out indoors at a gym, fitness center, dance studio, or
boutique fitness facility:
o When interacting with other people.
o When entering and exiting the facility and while in common
areas in the facility.
o When physical distancing is difficult and exercise type and
intensity allows for the wearing of a face covering.
o When doing low-intensity activities like walking on an indoor
track, stretching, or doing low-intensity yoga, Pilates, or similar
exercises.
o Consider doing any vigorous-intensity exercise outside and at
least 6 feet from other people not in your household, when
possible.
Are children required to wear a face covering?
o The following children should never wear a face covering:
o Those under 2 years of age, to avoid potential risk of
suffocation.
o Those who have a mental health condition, medical condition,
or disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering.
o Those who are engaged in strenuous physical activity.
o Children ages 2 to 9 are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings
when in public spaces. Children ages 10 and above are required to
wear face coverings when in public spaces.
o Children in Child Care: Child care providers must comply with
requirements established by the Nevada Department of Health and
Human Services Division of Public and Behavioral Health (or, in
Washoe County, the Washoe County Department of Social Services)
and are responsible for clearly communicating any requirements to
parents and guardians.
o Children Enrolled in Summer School: Public or charter schools
operating summer school programs must comply with any
requirements established by the local school district and/or Nevada
Department of Education. Any requirements should be
communicated to students and parents or guardians and should be
posted in classrooms.
o Children at Day Camps: Operators of day camps and similar programs
must comply with requirements established by the Nevada
Department of Health and Human Services and local health
authorities and are responsible for clearly communicating any
requirements to parents, guardians, and campers.
Are there any exemptions to who should wear a face covering? Yes,
Exemptions include persons:
o Who are 2 years of age and under, to avoid potential risk of
suffocation.
o Who have a medical condition, whether it be mental health,
disability, or other health reason that prevents them from
wearing a face covering. This includes people with any medical
condition for whom wearing a face covering can obstruct their
breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise
unable to remove a face covering without assistance.
o Who are experiencing homelessness. These individuals are
strongly encouraged to continue to practice social distancing,
to wear face coverings if possible, and to seek out community
services where available.
o Who are hearing impaired, or when in communication with an
individual who is hearing impaired where the ability to see the
mouth is essential for communication.
o For whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the
person as related to their work, as determined by local, state, or
federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.
o Who are obtaining services involving the nose or face for which
temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform
the service.
o Who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that
offers food or beverage services, while they are eating or
drinking, provided that they are able to maintain a distance of
at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the
same household or residence.
o Who are engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as
swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running, when alone or
with household members, and when they are able to maintain
a distance of at least six feet from others.
o Who are incarcerated. Prisons and jails are working diligently to
mitigate the spread and have developed their own specific
guidance for face coverings that applies to both inmates and
staff.
o Who have a medical condition or disability, or who are
otherwise unable to remove a mask without assistance.
Individuals exempted under this provision should wear a non-
restrictive alternative, such as a face shield, if possible.
I’m a business owner, what does this mean for me? With this new
directive, businesses are asked to establish a “no mask, no service” policy
for your own employees’ and patrons’ safety. Post notices on doors and in
front of your locations to enhance public awareness and requirements for
entry and safety. Please thoroughly screen those who are exempted from
this face covering directive. The Nevada Health Response Team has
provided this “No Mask, No Service” printable POSTER for businesses to
display reminding customers of the new face covering requirement for
entry. For convenience, the Team has also provided the poster in SPANISH
and in both ENGLISH and SPANISH.
Can a business refuse service to someone who refuses to wear a mask
or face covering?
Businesses should first check that the individual is not part of an exempted
category. If they are not exempted, businesses are encouraged to use the
opportunity to have a discussion with any non-compliant individual and
educate them on the importance of wearing a face covering to protect
themselves, other patrons, and staff. Businesses do have the right to ask a
patron to return at a different time with a face covering.
If a confrontation occurs between a patron refusing to wear a face covering
and an employee, please use discretion and alert local law enforcement as
necessary.
I’m a consumer, I want to support my local bars, my favorite
restaurants, casinos, etc., what does this mean for me? Wearing a face
covering is a way for every Nevadan to play their role in restarting our
economy, keeping businesses open, and keeping your neighbors and
families safe. If you support your local Nevada businesses and their staff,
the best thing you can do to keep them open and keep them safe, is to
wear a face covering and practice social distancing.
Why should we wear a face covering? Additional scientific information
has come to light about the transmission of COVID-19, specifically that
people that are infected but are asymptomatic or are pre-symptomatic
unfortunately play a significant part in the spread. The use of face
coverings, in conjunction with aggressive social distancing, can significantly
limit the transmission of infectious particles when someone talks, coughs,
or sneezes. See the bottom of this guidance for additional resources.
Who else should wear a face covering? Everyone that isn’t impacted by
one of the exemptions listed above. This virus doesn’t care about your age,
gender, or race, it attacks the entire populace. Many of those who’ve
contracted the virus may be asymptomatic, so it’s critical we all take
precautions to limit the spread.
What improvised face covering should I wear? Whatever one works and
fits you best, as long as it follows the basic design principles provided by
our medical team and the CDC. Below are some helpful links for designs
and information on caring for your new face covering. In addition, our
medical advisors recommend face shields be accompanied by cloth face
coverings, where medically possible. Keep in mind, FDA regulated PPE is
currently in short supply and should be reserved for those working on the
front line to combat this disease. They need it constantly and more than we
do. However, there are several alternatives to protecting yourself.
Click HERE for more information on face coverings, including basic
design principles, type of face covering you should wear, and how to
care for your face covering.
Additional Resources
• CDC Guidance - Use of Cloth Face Covering to Help Slow Spread of
COVID-19
• CDC Recommends Wearing Cloth Face Covering in Public Setting
where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain
• Masks and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Nevada Medical Advisory Team:
What does the science say about face coverings?
• Research is still being conducted on whether improvised facial
coverings prevent exposure to COVID-19, but it has been established
that face coverings can reduce the spread of the virus from infected
symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.
• People can be contagious before the onset of symptoms. Proper
coverage of the nose and mouth is a critical component in decreasing
the risk of spreading or contracting COVID-19. (Anifinrud, Stadnytski,
Bax & Bax, 2020)
• People who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic can spread the
virus and, when combined with social distancing and other
preventative measures, face coverings can offer additional protection
to the public. Face coverings protect both the wearer and individuals
the wearer may interact with either directly or indirectly while in a
public space. (Davies, 2020)
• Even with a face covering, it is still important to maintain social
distancing and good hand hygiene protocols. These efforts, in
combination with face covering when you have to go out in public,
are shown to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
• COVID-19 is highly contagious and while the science is not yet
definitive, and we are learning more each day, facial coverings reduce
the chance of transmission and protect everyone against infection.
(MacIntyre, Zhang & Chughtai, 2016)
• The face covering must cover the nose and mouth and it is important
that the wearer does not touch their face covering, as the virus could
be transferred to their hands. (CDC)
• The main role of a face covering is to reduce the release of infectious
particles into the air when a person speaks, coughs, or sneezes. While
no one single intervention offers complete protection, -when
combined with proper handwashing, social distancing and staying
home when sick, face coverings can reduce the spread of COVID-19
in communities. (CDC)
• The current evidence suggests that COVID-19 is most commonly
spread by respiratory droplets, especially when people cough and
sneeze, entering through the eyes, nose, and mouth, either directly or
by touching a contaminated surface. The risk of contracting COVID-
19 is reduced when both the infected person, and those around them,
are wearing a face covering. (Anifinrud, Stadnytski, Bax & Bax, 2020)
• A study the spread of COVID19 show that if only 50 percent of a
population wears a face covering, it will not be sufficient to prevent
continue spread, and that if 80 percent of a population donned a face
covering, there’s a substantial reduction in infection. (Kai, Goldstein,
Morgunov, Nangalia, Rotkirch, 2020)
Sources:
Anfinrud P, Stadnytskyi V, Bax CE, Bax A. 2020 Visualizing Speech-Generated Oral Fluid
Droplets with Laser Light Scattering. New England Journal of Medicine (doi:
10.1056/NEJMc2007800)
Davies A et al. 2013 Testing the efficacy of homemade masks: would they protect in an
influenza pandemic?. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness (doi:
10.1017/dmp.2013.43).
Kai, Goldstein, Morgunov, Nangalia, Rotkirch, et al. 2020 Universal Masking is Urgent in
the COVID-19 Pandemic: SEIR and Agent Based Models, Empirical Validation, Policy
Recommendations, arXiv:2004.13553 [physics.soc-ph]
MacIntyre C, Zhang Y, Chughtai A, et al. 2016. Cluster randomised controlled trial to
examine medical mask use as source control for people with respiratory illness. BMJ
Open (doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012330
El Equipo Asesor Medico de Nevada: ¿Qué es lo que dice la ciencia sobre las cubiertas faciales?
• Aun se están haciendo investigaciones para determinar si las
cubiertas faciales que son improvisadas previenen la exposición al COVID-19, pero si esta establecido que las cubiertas faciales pueden ayudar a reducir la propagación del virus de aquellos individuos quienes están infectados y son sintomáticos y asintomáticos.
• Las personas pueden ser contagiosas antes de que presenten síntomas. Cubrir la nariz y boca correctamente es un componente crucial para disminuir el riesgo de propagar o contraer COVID-19. (Anifinrud, Stadnytski, Bax & Bax, 2020)
• Las personas quienes son asintomáticas o presintomáticas pueden propagar el virus, y cuando se combina con el distanciamiento social y otras medidas preventivas, las cubiertas faciales proveen protección adicional al público. Las cubiertas faciales protegen a la persona usando una cubierta facial y a las personas quienes interactúan con la persona usando la cubierta facial, directa o indirectamente mientras están en un espacio público. (Davies, 2020)
• Aunque estén usando una cubierta facial, aun es importante mantener el distanciamiento social y los protocolos de buena higiene de lavado de manos. Estos esfuerzos, en combinación con una cubierta facial cuando tenga que salir en público, han demostrado ayudan a lentificar la propagación de COVID-19.
• COVID-19 es altamente contagioso y mientras la ciencia aun no es definitiva, y estamos aprendiendo cada día más, las cubiertas faciales
reducen la oportunidad de transmisión y protegen a todos contra la infección. (MacIntyre, Zhang & Chughtai, 2016)
• Las cubiertas faciales deben cubrir la nariz y la boca y es importante que la persona con cubierta facial no se toque la cubierta, porque el virus puede ser transferido a sus manos. (CDC)
• La función principal de una cubierta facial es reducir la expulsión de partículas infecciosas al aire cuando una persona habla, tose, u estornuda. Mientras no hay una sola intervención que ofrece protección total, cuando se combina con lavarse las manos correctamente, distanciamiento social, y quedarse en casa cuando se sienta enfermo, las cubiertas faciales pueden reducir la propagación del COVID-19 en las comunidades. (CDC)
• La evidencia actual sugiere que el COVID-19 es mas comúnmente propagado por gotas respiratorias, especialmente cuando las personas tosen y estornudan, entrando por los ojos, la nariz, la boca, ya sea directamente o al tocar una superficie contaminada. El riesgo de contraer COVID-19 es reducido cuando ambas personas, la infectada y aquellas personas a su alrededor usan una cubierta facial. (Anifinrud, Stadnytski, Bax & Bax, 2020)
• Un estudio sobre la propagación de COVID-19, mostro que, si solo el 50 por ciento de la población usa una cubierta facial, no será suficiente para prevenir la propagación, y que, si el 80 por ciento de la población se pone una cubierta facial, hay una reducción substancial de la infección. (Anifinrud, Stadnytski, Bax & Bax, 2020) Recursos:
Anfinrud P, Stadnytskyi V, Bax CE, Bax A. 2020 Visualizing Speech-Generated Oral Fluid Droplets with Laser Light Scattering. New England Journal of Medicine (doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2007800)
Davies A et al. 2013 Testing the efficacy of homemade masks: would they protect in an influenza pandemic?. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness (doi: 10.1017/dmp.2013.43).
Kai, Goldstein, Morgunov, Nangalia, Rotkirch, et al. 2020 Universal Masking is Urgent in the COVID-19 Pandemic: SEIR and Agent Based Models, Empirical Validation, Policy Recommendations, arXiv:2004.13553 [physics.soc-ph]
MacIntyre C, Zhang Y, Chughtai A, et al. 2016. Cluster randomised controlled trial to examine medical mask use as source control for people with respiratory illness. BMJ Open (doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012330